If we want to get our country clean, the responsibility should encompass all levels of society from the individual to the government.
1. The individual
We cannot achieve our goals without the cooperation of the individual citizen. Individuals have to be convinced of the importance of a clean environment and believe that it can be achieved. The first people to change often find it very difficult. It can be frustrating and disappointing to see that others do not adhere to behavioural changes that the individual had embraced. This can lead to disillusionment and reversal of the positive individual behavioural change. We often hear people say "what is the point in me putting garbage in the bin, when ten others around me throw garbage wherever they please". Moreover human beings want to conform and blend-in with the wider society. They do not want to be different and be the odd person out. They might want to avoid ridicule. So if the majority urinates against the public wall, the individual might find it difficult to be the one who uses the toilet. On the other hand individual thought and action has quite often changed the course of history. The founding of great religions, political movements and institutions can be traced back to a single individual or small group of people. So the individual, once convinced, has to persist and strive to be a catalyst for change.
2. The family
Next, change has to occur at the level of the smaller units of the community. The family being the next level after an individual, change is crucial at this level. Close family members are the ones over whom most people have the greatest influence. Influencing children about positive behaviour is what all families do. Keeping the environment clean should be one of those positive behaviours that parents have to cultivate in their children. Homes have to be at the forefront of this revolution. If home composting, recycling, source segregation of waste etc. are to take hold, all members of a household have to do their part.
3. Communities
The next level would be neighbourhoods, streets and apartment buildings. Resident organisations play a critical part here. They can change community attitudes and behaviour by the herd mentality that is so inimical to individual change. Here the herd mentality can used to advantage. If most people adhere to a certain change in behaviour others will follow. Moreover there is power in numbers. Resident groups can set up collective mechanisms, as we have seen in communal composting of waste in certain apartment buildings in cities like Bangalore.
4. Institutions
By institutions we mean places where people go to study, work and shop. Schools, colleges and universities are obvious targets. Schools have always been agents of change. It is easy to change young minds. Workplaces like offices and factories are also places where behavioural change can be easily enforced. Malls and markets have to implement clean practises. It is good for business and will ultimately enhance their revenues.
5. Corporations
We see many many corporations setting up manufacturing units employing hundreds of workers. These corporations should strive to empower their employees to indulge in behaviour that will keep the environment clean. They should also be good corporate citizens and help keep the external environments clean. Companies should adopt public spaces in the vicinity of their operations. The Pepsico-Exnora collaboration in Pammal is a case in point. Local governments can give tax breaks to corporations that step up to keep public spaces clean. As private sector entities, you can expect them to be more efficient than the public sector. Too often we note big corporations hiding in their clean compounds behind high walls and fences and letting the outside remain an eyesore. These multinationals cannot get away with such behaviour in many other countries.
7. Government
The various levels of government are indeed the ultimate arbiters of societal change. They have the power and wherewithal to bring about sweeping change through positive and negative reinforcement of mass behaviour. Through legislation, policing and awareness campaigns they have the greatest power to bring about change. They are responsible for the infrastructure and maintenance. We have seen successive governments in Kerala emphasize cleanliness as a goal and the results are easy to see. However governments alone cannot achieve the desired goals without the cooperation of the citizenry. Nationwide campaigns like the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan are welcome but need public participation to be successful.
So if all these levels of society work together and cooperate, it will be just a matter of time before the country becomes clean and remains clean.
Tuesday 13 November 2012
Friday 9 November 2012
The Costs of Unclean Public Spaces
An unclean environment costs us in many ways. From increased medical costs to lost productivity to loss of prestige and investment, we all lose when our land is unclean.
1. Health
Poor hygiene causes many diseases. From diarrhoeal illness to vector borne diseases and parasites, there are many diseases that can be easily prevented by keeping the environment clean.Illness leads to an unhealthy population and can have individual and collective losses. Severe infections can lead to premature death . Diseases cause severe economic loss to the community. Poor families lose income when wage earners cannot work due to illness. They spend valuable rupees on medical treatment. If they lose money this way they will have less to save and spend. When wage earners die they cause severe economic hardship to surviving dependents.This leads to an overall loss of capital to the community. Productivity is lost.The economy of the country suffers as a result. Economic progress is stilted.
2. Investment
External investors can be turned off by unclean environments. New industries, especially those related to food and pharmaceuticals, may be reticent to invest in areas deemed unhygienic. The community loses valuable infusion of capital.The creations of new jobs is affected. The economy of the country suffers.
3. Tourism
Our governments spend crores of rupees on campaigns like Incredible India and Enchanting Tamil Nadu. They do this with the intention of attracting foreign tourists. Tourism done well, can generate tremendous income to the country and the communities involved. If the country is unclean the crores spent on advertising campaigns is wasted, as tourists generally get turned off by unsanitary environments. This is partly due to fear of disease and revulsion of visible dirt and bad odours.
4. Prestige
India has a lot of soft power to project abroad. Our film industry; culture; classical dance forms; music; literature; spirituality;our prowess in information technology and knowledge based industries; the varied beauty of our land from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari; all contribute to a positive image abroad. This image is sullied by the unclean state of our streets. This costs us on the international stage. In world forums our image is important for our diplomats to advance our interests. If the world thinks that we are incapable of keeping our public spaces clean, it will not take us seriously in matters that are more serious.
So it is important to keep our streets and public spaces clean to advance the country's development and progress. It is not a cosmetic, frivolous pursuit. A clean country has tangible real benefit for all segments of society.
1. Health
Poor hygiene causes many diseases. From diarrhoeal illness to vector borne diseases and parasites, there are many diseases that can be easily prevented by keeping the environment clean.Illness leads to an unhealthy population and can have individual and collective losses. Severe infections can lead to premature death . Diseases cause severe economic loss to the community. Poor families lose income when wage earners cannot work due to illness. They spend valuable rupees on medical treatment. If they lose money this way they will have less to save and spend. When wage earners die they cause severe economic hardship to surviving dependents.This leads to an overall loss of capital to the community. Productivity is lost.The economy of the country suffers as a result. Economic progress is stilted.
2. Investment
External investors can be turned off by unclean environments. New industries, especially those related to food and pharmaceuticals, may be reticent to invest in areas deemed unhygienic. The community loses valuable infusion of capital.The creations of new jobs is affected. The economy of the country suffers.
3. Tourism
Our governments spend crores of rupees on campaigns like Incredible India and Enchanting Tamil Nadu. They do this with the intention of attracting foreign tourists. Tourism done well, can generate tremendous income to the country and the communities involved. If the country is unclean the crores spent on advertising campaigns is wasted, as tourists generally get turned off by unsanitary environments. This is partly due to fear of disease and revulsion of visible dirt and bad odours.
4. Prestige
India has a lot of soft power to project abroad. Our film industry; culture; classical dance forms; music; literature; spirituality;our prowess in information technology and knowledge based industries; the varied beauty of our land from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari; all contribute to a positive image abroad. This image is sullied by the unclean state of our streets. This costs us on the international stage. In world forums our image is important for our diplomats to advance our interests. If the world thinks that we are incapable of keeping our public spaces clean, it will not take us seriously in matters that are more serious.
So it is important to keep our streets and public spaces clean to advance the country's development and progress. It is not a cosmetic, frivolous pursuit. A clean country has tangible real benefit for all segments of society.
Monday 5 November 2012
The Blame Game
When the streets are unclean the public blames the authorities. The government is criticised. The engineers, managers, supervisors etc. are all called to task as they should be. People are quick to point the finger at poor governance. Municipal workers are accused of incompetence and laziness.
On the other hand, the authorities blame the public. The people who litter, dump garbage in open spaces in the cover of darkness and in broad daylight, shamelessly spit, urinate and defecate in public places, are all blamed. The irresponsible people who refuse to use garbage bins even when they are available and those who use public toilets with no concern for others who have to use it after them are definitely poor citizens.
The sad truth is that in our country both are right in what they say and wrong in what they do. To maintain clean public spaces the authorities and the citizenry have to cooperate and work in unison. One cannot do it without the other. No amount of garbage bins and public toilets can keep the cities and towns clean unless people actually use them. People cannot be expected to to do their part if the proper amenities are not provided. No society can expect people to haul refuse around with them until they find a place to dispose of it. To urinate and defecate are human bodily functions. People cannot be expected to hold their bladders and bowels for indefinite periods. They will relieve themselves wherever they can. For all the talk of civilisation, humans are but animals after all.
So we have to deal with two problems here. One behavioural and the other one of governance. The two solutions have to converge. For us to create the critical mass of clean spaces for the tipping point to occur quickly, both problems have to be solved simultaneously. Proper governance will ensure adequate and convenient infrastructure and the manpower and funds to maintain them; the public has to use them with care and consideration.
We have to stop the blame going around and around like a vicious cycle and find solutions that will embrace both sides and lead to sustainable clean environments.
There are plenty of examples that it can be done. A visit to the UNESCO world heritage sites at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram gives one ample proof that clean public spaces can be maintained in Tamil Nadu and India if we want to. On a recent visit to Gangaikondacholapuram, we witnessed a woman carelessly tossing a banana skin on the ground and within seconds a member of the cleaning staff picked it up and tossed it into a garbage bin. Although changing the behaviour of the woman is important, what was refreshing to see was that there was the system to rectify the problem caused by the erring woman. On the other hand if all the visitors had thrown banana skins on the ground no number of cleaning staff would be adequate to keep the place clean. The fact that the place was clean is testimony to the behaviour of most people in that space who did not litter in this clean environment. The same cannot be said of the adjoining town of Jayamkondan which looks filthy. The goal should be to take the lessons of the pockets of excellence to the wider community.
So, without blaming each other we have to find solutions that will engender a collective sense of ownership and pride that will in turn ensure a clean environment for us all.
On the other hand, the authorities blame the public. The people who litter, dump garbage in open spaces in the cover of darkness and in broad daylight, shamelessly spit, urinate and defecate in public places, are all blamed. The irresponsible people who refuse to use garbage bins even when they are available and those who use public toilets with no concern for others who have to use it after them are definitely poor citizens.
The sad truth is that in our country both are right in what they say and wrong in what they do. To maintain clean public spaces the authorities and the citizenry have to cooperate and work in unison. One cannot do it without the other. No amount of garbage bins and public toilets can keep the cities and towns clean unless people actually use them. People cannot be expected to to do their part if the proper amenities are not provided. No society can expect people to haul refuse around with them until they find a place to dispose of it. To urinate and defecate are human bodily functions. People cannot be expected to hold their bladders and bowels for indefinite periods. They will relieve themselves wherever they can. For all the talk of civilisation, humans are but animals after all.
So we have to deal with two problems here. One behavioural and the other one of governance. The two solutions have to converge. For us to create the critical mass of clean spaces for the tipping point to occur quickly, both problems have to be solved simultaneously. Proper governance will ensure adequate and convenient infrastructure and the manpower and funds to maintain them; the public has to use them with care and consideration.
We have to stop the blame going around and around like a vicious cycle and find solutions that will embrace both sides and lead to sustainable clean environments.
There are plenty of examples that it can be done. A visit to the UNESCO world heritage sites at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram gives one ample proof that clean public spaces can be maintained in Tamil Nadu and India if we want to. On a recent visit to Gangaikondacholapuram, we witnessed a woman carelessly tossing a banana skin on the ground and within seconds a member of the cleaning staff picked it up and tossed it into a garbage bin. Although changing the behaviour of the woman is important, what was refreshing to see was that there was the system to rectify the problem caused by the erring woman. On the other hand if all the visitors had thrown banana skins on the ground no number of cleaning staff would be adequate to keep the place clean. The fact that the place was clean is testimony to the behaviour of most people in that space who did not litter in this clean environment. The same cannot be said of the adjoining town of Jayamkondan which looks filthy. The goal should be to take the lessons of the pockets of excellence to the wider community.
So, without blaming each other we have to find solutions that will engender a collective sense of ownership and pride that will in turn ensure a clean environment for us all.
Saturday 3 November 2012
The Dignity of the Sanitary Worker
It is all about respect. For a society to create clean public spaces the workers involved in keeping the spaces clean have to be respected. In India we very often do not do that.We use derogatory terms to refer to them. Society looks down upon them, devalues and ill-treats them. We pay them very little. We do not provide the proper equipment and do not care for their safety or well-being.The minute an outsider mentions the caste system we tend to get our tails up, but the sad truth is that the most discriminated "castes" end up doing the cleaning. We consider their work menial. Most so called middle and upper class Indians do not consider these people human at all, but will preach about human rights to the rest of the world to no end.
Things are different in other more egalitarian societies. Although, educated, well to do segments of a society may not want to do work such as garbage collecting, sweeping, cleaning toilets etc., they do not neceessarily disrepect the workers who do those jobs. At least in public they would not dare insult a sanitary worker or devalue their work. They make an effort to appreciate their work. In many of these countries poor, uneducated and immigrant groups predominate in these jobs, but they are treated with some degree of respect and paid well. For example, in many upper crust schools in the West, the janitor or custodian who is responsble for keeping the premises clean by cleaning the toilets etc., is referred to as Mr. So and So and the students are taught to respect him. In many cities around the world the garbage collector is paid very well, often times well above the minimum wage. We need to learn from these societies.
In order to create a cleaning work force that is dedicated and takes pride in their work, we need to do the following:
1. Pay adequate wages
If society values cleanliness, it should properly remunerate the workers who keep the public spaces clean. After all, they do work that is essential, but which others in society refuse to do. They should not be allowed to descend into abject poverty. If they do not feel rewarded, how could we expect them to do a good job? A recent study in Bangalore found that many sanitary workers do not have access to toilets and practice open defecation and urination. If that were the case, how could you expect them to honestly clean the public spaces, for the middle and upper classes to go for their morning jog? These workers have to be adequately compensated so thet they can have a decent standard of living.
2. Society has to eliminate litter, dumping, spitting, public urination etc
If the majority do not clean up after themselves or add to the uncleanliness, no amount of cleaning by sanitary workers is going to be enough to keep the place clean. Society has to do its part to minimize the work of the sanitary worker. The work has to be acceptable. It boils down to respect for a fellow human being.
3. Respect the sanitary worker
The dignity of the sanitary worker has to respected and protected at all times. People should not be allowed to insult or demean them.Their work should be appreciated. Society should treat them with respect and kindness. A society's maturity and its refinement should be judged by how it treats these workers.
4. Enact protective legislation
The laws should protect these workers from exploitation. Their compensation, work loads, working conditions and safety should be protected by law. It is the mark of a cilvilized society to legally protect them.
5. Ensure their safety
The employers, be they the local government body or private concerns, should ensure the safety of the worker. Proper safety gear should be provided. Gloves, masks etc that meet the standards should be provided. The health and well being of these workers shoiuld be paramount. They should be protected from unruly vehicular traffic.
6. Proper equipment and training should be provided
The work force should be provided with the proper tools and skills to to their job right. Mechanisation should be implemented where feasible. Their work should be made bearable and pleasant. Sanitary work does not necessarily have to be unsanitary, if done the proper way.
If we do this right, we will create a set of workers who will be proud of what they do, feel appreciated by society and feel adequately rewarded, that they will strive to create a clean environment that will benefit us all.
So the next time you come into contact with a sanitary worker, be thankful for what they do and be appreciative. By doing so, you are contributing to the well being of this country and are being patriotic.
Things are different in other more egalitarian societies. Although, educated, well to do segments of a society may not want to do work such as garbage collecting, sweeping, cleaning toilets etc., they do not neceessarily disrepect the workers who do those jobs. At least in public they would not dare insult a sanitary worker or devalue their work. They make an effort to appreciate their work. In many of these countries poor, uneducated and immigrant groups predominate in these jobs, but they are treated with some degree of respect and paid well. For example, in many upper crust schools in the West, the janitor or custodian who is responsble for keeping the premises clean by cleaning the toilets etc., is referred to as Mr. So and So and the students are taught to respect him. In many cities around the world the garbage collector is paid very well, often times well above the minimum wage. We need to learn from these societies.
In order to create a cleaning work force that is dedicated and takes pride in their work, we need to do the following:
1. Pay adequate wages
If society values cleanliness, it should properly remunerate the workers who keep the public spaces clean. After all, they do work that is essential, but which others in society refuse to do. They should not be allowed to descend into abject poverty. If they do not feel rewarded, how could we expect them to do a good job? A recent study in Bangalore found that many sanitary workers do not have access to toilets and practice open defecation and urination. If that were the case, how could you expect them to honestly clean the public spaces, for the middle and upper classes to go for their morning jog? These workers have to be adequately compensated so thet they can have a decent standard of living.
2. Society has to eliminate litter, dumping, spitting, public urination etc
If the majority do not clean up after themselves or add to the uncleanliness, no amount of cleaning by sanitary workers is going to be enough to keep the place clean. Society has to do its part to minimize the work of the sanitary worker. The work has to be acceptable. It boils down to respect for a fellow human being.
3. Respect the sanitary worker
The dignity of the sanitary worker has to respected and protected at all times. People should not be allowed to insult or demean them.Their work should be appreciated. Society should treat them with respect and kindness. A society's maturity and its refinement should be judged by how it treats these workers.
4. Enact protective legislation
The laws should protect these workers from exploitation. Their compensation, work loads, working conditions and safety should be protected by law. It is the mark of a cilvilized society to legally protect them.
5. Ensure their safety
The employers, be they the local government body or private concerns, should ensure the safety of the worker. Proper safety gear should be provided. Gloves, masks etc that meet the standards should be provided. The health and well being of these workers shoiuld be paramount. They should be protected from unruly vehicular traffic.
6. Proper equipment and training should be provided
The work force should be provided with the proper tools and skills to to their job right. Mechanisation should be implemented where feasible. Their work should be made bearable and pleasant. Sanitary work does not necessarily have to be unsanitary, if done the proper way.
If we do this right, we will create a set of workers who will be proud of what they do, feel appreciated by society and feel adequately rewarded, that they will strive to create a clean environment that will benefit us all.
So the next time you come into contact with a sanitary worker, be thankful for what they do and be appreciative. By doing so, you are contributing to the well being of this country and are being patriotic.
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